Movie Review

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Tim Burton puts his stamp on the mind of America once again; he's back with a new/old movie. Now, can we all back up for a second and agree that Tim has fallen off pretty hard since his early days? It's not that he lost his talent, it's more like he's not impressed with it anymore. And he seems to be leaning heavily towards more family material rather than the bristling edginess he used to project. And what's the deal with the remakes of already classic films? Even though Burton still remains on top of the game in many ways, he has lost much of that "Hollywood Visionary" quality that permeated him several years ago; there is a lack of substance in his modern output. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a prime example of what I'm talking about.

If you've seen the Gene Wilder version, you're gonna know what goes on in this one. The basic plot is exactly the same; only the trimmings are different. Charlie Bucket and four other children acquire Golden Tickets and are allowed a one-time visit to the Wonka Chocolate Factory. The children, along with one parent and/or guardian, tour the factory with the uber-mysterious Willy Wonka as their guide. They encounter a magical fantasyland of sugary goodness and scientifically impossible food miracles. And - lest we forget - there are the song-and-dance numbers performed by the household names known as Oompa Loompas. Strange karmatic complications ensue with the children, who in some cases are transformed into circus freaks. And at the end of it all, Willy picks an heir to his empire (can you guess who it's gonna be?).

There's a lot to like and even more to admire in this flick. In fact, if you're really into cutesy-type movies, you might enjoy it quite a bit. I'm generally not into kiddie fare, but I do appreciate a dose of bombastic energy whenever it appears in cinema. It appears here, but just in small servings. I was taken in by the Oompa Loompa songs to a large degree (while I did not think I would enjoy them, they proved to be the best part of the film). Aurally and visually, these scenes please tremendously. There is much optical brilliance in this movie; the production design is probably the best of the year. Tim Burton still has his colorful geometric style, and this is a perfect excuse to showcase it. One cannot escape the similarities between Burton and Willy Wonka himself: both are par layers of Neverland-style youthful innocence who control their productions meticulously as they oversee from on high. And both are a little bit weird (although Wonka probably a little bit more so than artsy film-guy Burton). This symbiotic commonness is probably what made Burton want do the damn thing in the first place. That, or the fact that he knew he could cash in easily without the need of an original idea.

A movie (no matter what genre or rating) should always be about themes, ideas, and inspiration. This flick has inspiration in the visual department but lacks the other two things completely. Yes, it's about the importance of family, but that concept has to be spelled out a million times, and in an extremely schmaltzy way to boot. The Buckets are a classic poor family who are the nicest people in the world, and that comes off as a big cliché, especially coming from the producers of such a cash-in Hollywood wankfest as this. Why a wankfest? Consider the script by John August: it is such a thin skeleton to hang an ambitious movie upon. There are no good lines at all; the alleged comedy moments are completely bereft of laughter. There is no wit or irony to any of the dialogue or the story either. The lyrics to the musical numbers were written by Danny Elfman, but I couldn't tell what most of the words were due the Oompa Loompas cacophonous and bizarre voices. So many moments that should soar fall flat and it's too bad. It's like they had to tack the imagination on in post-production, rather than starting from an inventive template.

This movie surely has major skill. I would suggest watching it, just not at full price. Some people will be satisfied, and some will be pretty frustrated, and both camps have their valid arguments. I don't want to judge it too harshly because it has things that most other movies don't have and does a lot of things better. But to me it's just another example of a modern movie: somewhat enjoyable, but ultimately mediocre.

Scott's Grade: C+

A	15.1%
B	59.2%
C	24.5%
D	1.2%
F	0.0%